


Somnium

by Pigeonations



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Angst, Azur | Inigo-centric, Blood, Body Horror, Dreams and Nightmares, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-04 15:45:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18346718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pigeonations/pseuds/Pigeonations
Summary: "It's just a dream." He says.By morning, Inigo will forget.That is, if he ever gets to see the light of day.





	1. Home Sweet Home

 

There was a reason Inigo always stayed out so late.

Most believed it to be a result of a few particular flings gone right for a change. Of course, they never expected such an over-dramatic dandy to be the type to participate in a one night stand, but the longer he stayed out, the more rumors began to circulate. Of course, his devil-may-care attitude did nothing to suppress these rumors, but his mind was elsewhere.  

However, there were rare occasions where he could be found in his tent, fast asleep. And this fateful night, was one of those occasions.

As Inigo drifted further into slumber, he could feel the world around him melt into a fog. The sound of his tent mate snoring faded into white noise, and soon he was at peace. Warmth settled over him, lulling him deeper into sleep. All was still. 

All was quiet.

_ “Sweetie?” _

Inigo could hear his mother’s voice echoing in his mind. It was distant and muffled, but her voice nonetheless.

“Inigo, wake up!”

Inigo slowly opened and closed his eyes, allowing his vision to adjust. The first thing he could see was a brick fireplace. The heat of the fire warmed his cheeks as the flames danced among the logs, crackling with every movement. Inigo shifted in place before steadily lifting his head and sitting up straight. His shoulders ached as he stretched out. The pain soon melted into warmth, and Inigo continued to sit and bask in the heat.

“Goodness, are you alright?” Inigo glanced over to see his mother, back turned to him as she chopped away at something at the kitchen counter.  “I’ve never seen you fall asleep on the floor like that!”

“Where...am I?” Inigo’s eyes widened at the sound of his own voice. Was it always that high pitched?

“Home. Where else would you be?” Olivia chuckled. 

Inigo took in his surroundings. The windows were covered in fog, but he  could see snow falling amidst the dark night sky. The room he was in was very familiar. Everything from the dark wooden table,  the fuzzy rug in the parlor, the worn out bricks that surrounded the fireplace and even the subtle chill in the air seemed so  _ familiar.  _ He couldn’t put his finger on it.

“Home.” He repeated. Then he realized.

He was in Regna Ferox.

Inigo stood up. Everything seemed a lot bigger than he remembered. His footsteps were cautious as he approached the kitchen. He looked down at his feet.

_ Why am I so small? _

“Would you mind setting the table? Dinner’s almost ready!” Olivia began to hum as she washed her hands.

Inigo drifted towards the silverware drawer. Without thinking, he retrieved forks, knives, and spoons and began placing them on the kitchen table. A faint memory flickered in the back of his mind. He remembered doing this exact thing--

When he was a child.

He picked up one of the spoons and looked at his reflection.

He  _ is  _ a child.

He placed the spoon back on the table. He stared at the fireplace, blinking a few more times.

_ Why is it so loud? _

“All done!” Olivia announced, her voice full of triumph. “I hope you’re hungry! Because I made your favorite!” She finally turned around, a plate of pasta and a slice of bread in her hand. Inigo felt at ease upon seeing his mother’s warm smile and gentle eyes. He had feared the worst, expecting some sort of nightmarish creature in place of his mother. But all was at peace. All was as it should have been.

“My favorite?” Inigo’s eyes lit up as he scrambled to sit in a chair. 

“If you finish everything,  you’ll get to have dessert!” Olivia ruffled his hair before setting the plate down in front of him. Inigo immediately picked up the bread and took a bite.  He could feel the heat of the fresh bread spreading through his body as he chewed.

“Ah! What do we say?” Olivia frowned, nearly taking the plate from him.

“--ank yuh!” Inigo tried to swallow. His chest burned but he was far too engulfed in his meal to care.

“Hungry, are we?” Olivia shook her head and sat across from him.

Inigo nodded, taking another bite of bread.

He chewed.

“Does it taste alright?”

 

He couldn’t taste anything.

 

“Yes, ma’am.” The words came out on their own.

“Oh, I’m so glad!” Another smile.

 

Another bite. No taste.

 

“Mama?”

 

_ No taste. _

 

“Yes, sweetie?”

 

“Where’s Papa?”

The fire grew louder.  Olivia’s smile fell.

 

“He’s...he’s gone, sweetie.”

“Gone?” Inigo felt his throat tighten. 

 

No taste.

 

“He’ll be gone for a long time.” Olivia didn’t make eye contact. She traced the wood grain of the table, her eyes cast down towards the floor. “I don’t think he’ll be back…”

“Oh.” His voice was quiet. He felt ill. Tears threaten to spill from his eyes.

“Aw, cheer up, buttercup!” Inigo felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing that oh-so familiar saying from his childhood. Olivia looked up at him once more, her eyes dark, yet her smile returned, wider than it had been.  “I know you must be sad, but you have to remember--” 

The fire grew louder. Inigo’s head started to throb with every crack of the fire.

“It  _ is  _ your fault, after all.” Olivia’s voice warped. The dulcet tones of his mother’s voice suddenly became cold and harsh. The room grew hot. Burning, scorching,

_ Unbearably  _  hot.

The logs from the fireplace rolled out of their places and spiraled around the room, fire spreading faster than Inigo could comprehend. Inigo fell from his chair, backing away from the kitchen.  Fire crept up the walls, burning everything in their place to a crisp. Pieces of wood tumbled from the ceiling and crushed the furniture during their descent. Inigo looked up at his mother, sweat beading on his forehead and his heart catching in his throat.

“It’s your fault, sweetheart.” Olivia turned to Inigo, staggering towards him. “What happened to your father, what happened to me--It’s all your fault!”

“I’m sorry!” Inigo shrieked, backing away from his mother.

“It’s YOUR fault!” Olivia sobbed. Her tears were thick, almost as if they were made of wax. They blended into her skin and dripped onto the floor. Her skin began to drip. Her hair soon followed. Shades of pink began to mix with the color of her flesh as she lurched towards him, melting as the fire burned brighter. Inigo screamed, but his body refused to move. He could only stare in horror at the shambling creature his mother had become.  She reached a hand towards him, strings of wax dripping off of her bones. Something within Inigo finally snapped, and he made a break for the front door. The door seemed to dissolve as soon as he turned the knob. 

The snowy landscape appeared to be unending as Inigo ran further into the darkness. Snow began filling his shoes and the cold stung his eyes, but he refused to look back at the burning pyre that once was his home.  The anguished cries of his mother rung through his ears. He kept running. The snow fell faster, gathering in clumps around him. The frosted air pierced his lungs, but no matter what, he refused to keep running.

He could no longer smell smoke. 

 

Everything became still and quiet.

 

And yet, he ran.

 

Deeper and deeper into the frigid darkness, Inigo ran. 

 

One final scream erupted from the smoldering ruins.

 


	2. A City Long Forgotten

He had lost track of how long he had been running.

There was nothing but ice and snow for miles around. Unending darkness filled the skies, with no traces of light or life in sight. The thought of being caught by whatever that _thing_ that his mother had become was the only thing keeping him in motion. He had to keep running. He had no choice.

The smell of ash and soot had been far gone from his nostrils, but he could still hear the horrific screaming in the back of his mind. He could no longer tell if he was trembling from the cold, or from the fear.

His lungs stung. He felt faint.

Inigo gradually slowed, and the snow came down in misshapen clumps. He bent over, hands on his knees as he gasped for air. He coughed violently, on the verging of vomiting.

"Keep....keep running...have to..." He tried to forced himself to run again, but he could only muster enough strength to drag himself along. He whispered halfhearted words of encouragement to himself. But no matter how many times he repeated it, he desperately wished to stop. He was tempted to let himself fall into the snow and stay there. All he wanted was to lay down for just a second, just long enough to catch his breath.

Inigo came to a complete stop. Before he knew it, he was face first in a mound of snow. He could feel his body slowly sinking into the snow, flakes gathering in his hair and freezing over. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to rest.

"Running..." He mumbled.

His eyes snapped open. His hands were a lot larger now.

He was an adult again. He could feel it.

Inigo got back onto his feet, knees shaking as he began walking again.

_Just keep running._

A faint glimmer of light could be seen in the distance. Inigo gasped and sped up.

_Just keep running!_

The snow in his boots began to melt and the ice crystals in his hair dripped down onto his shoulders. The light was warm and comforting-- yet no matter how fast he ran, the light appeared to travel further and further away. The snow under his feet melted away into brick paths. Lanterns lines the streets, creating an illuminated path for him to follow. Inigo stopped once more, looking around.

"This is...the capitol?

Empty vendor stalls lined the streets. The lights within the buildings flickered on and off. The streets of Ylisstol were always full of such joy and livelihood, but the silence made Inigo deeply uncomfortable. Memories of playing tag with Owain and Cynthia, bobbing and weaving through the alleyways flooded his memory. He could hear faint laughter and rapid footsteps in the distance. He continued forward, keeping an eye out for any signs of somebody, anybody other than himself on the street.

A castle formed in the distance, the lights brighter than any he had ever seen. Inigo broke out into a sprint. The world around him disappeared into a fog as he came closer and closer to the castle. Suddenly, he was standing in front of Castle Ylisstol. Tattered blue flags and banners fluttered in the breeze among the castle walls. The castle had certainly seen better days, but he recognized it instantly.

Inigo skidded to a halt, peering into the window.

The throne room sat before him, decorated in hues of brilliant blue and gold. The throne sat in the middle of the room, empty and decaying. All other windows in the room were broken. Pieces of stained glass scattered across the floor. A woman kept pacing the floor, muttering something under their breath. Flashes of blue followed her after every turn.

"Lucina?" Inigo wanted to call out to her, but his voice only came out as a whisper.

"...Not much time." Back.

"...don't know what to do--" Forth.

"--counting on me!" Back.

"Gods, I can't...!" Forth.

Lucina crumpled to the floor, sitting among broken glass. She covered her eyes, fighting tears. She trembled, whispering pleas to the gods for solace.

Inigo leaned closer to the window, opening his mouth to speak once more. Nothing came out.

"I have to protect them. _All_ of them. No matter the cost." Lucina lowered her hands, attempting to steady her breath.  "No matter what. No matter...No...NO!" Lucina shrieked, clutching her chest and doubling over. Her body convulsed as she whipped her head back, screaming in agony. Her chest pulsated. She tried desperately to catch her breathe. She screamed again,the tip of a blade bursting through her chest. Inigo immediately jumped back and covered his mouth.

As much as he wanted to scream, nothing would come out.

The blade pushed itself further out of her body. An all too familiar hue of gold lined the center of the blade. Despite its violent entry, the blade was spotless. Lucina stared down at herself, eyes wide and the words left gurgling in her throat. Six inky black spires suddenly pierced through her back, warping and twisting themselves in the shape of feathered wings. Tears began their descent down her face, staining her cheeks bright red. She looked towards the window. Her lips curled into a half formed smile. Her teeth were sharp, inhuman.

"Inigo? Is that...you?" Lucina sobbed, reaching a hand out.

Slits formed underneath her eyes.

"I...I'm okay...! I'm fine! Please don't be afraid."

The slits gaped open and shut, revealing eyes underneath them. Red eyes frantically darted from side to side within her flesh.. Her face began to broke out into scales. She cried out in anguish, left powerless to watch her hands warp into claws. She looked at the window again, her once blue eyes now a bright shade of red. Her smile fell.

"Why are you so afraid of me...?"

A deafening roar ripped from her throat.

Inigo's body began to move on its own accord. He tore himself away from the window and began running back in the direction he came from. The castle shook as another roar echoed throughout the area. He didn't where to go. He didn't stop think about it. The only thing he knew is that he has to run and hide before Lucina-- or _whoever_ that monstrosity was-- caught him and tore him to pieces.

Inigo turned a corner, running down an alley.

Memories of childhood reemerged. He followed the sound of children's laughter down the brick roads. He eventually slowed to a jog, and then stopped altogether. He leaned against a wall, panting.

"This...this is just a dream, right? I-It has to be!" Inigo closed his eyes. "I just have to wake up." He rubbed furiously at his eyes. "Just...wake up!"

He opened them again. Same bricks. Same street.

"Wake up!" He began slapping his cheek rapidly, expecting to wake up in his tent as usual. "Come on, just wake up!"

Same street. Same living nightmare.

"Gods, what's go--" Inigo felt something clamp over his mouth and yank him around a corner. He struggled, writhing around in hopes of freeing himself.

_I'm going to die._

Inigo struggled harder. 

_I don't WANT to die!_

"Shhh! Calm down!"

The voice was familiar, but Inigo was far too panicked to think.

**I don't want to die I don't want to die I don't want to die I don't want to die I don't--**

"Inigo, calm down! It's me!"

Inigo was forced to look his assailant in the eye.

"...Owain?"


End file.
